Hungary Allows Drunk Cycling

In a country with zero tolerance for driving under the influence, a Hungarian government decree that allows cyclists to drink and ride on major roads came as a surprise over the weekend.

Hungary, which fines drunk drivers heavily, takes away licenses, bans them from driving and locks them up in jail if they’ve caused an accident, since Saturday allows cycling regardless of the level of intoxication provided that cyclists are capable of steering.

The government decision, published in its official gazette with the signature of Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday, follows a 2012 modification of the traffic regulations that said cyclists could ride minor, secondary roads after drinking but there were banned from major roads.

Before Saturday, if riders were caught on main roads with blood alcohol level higher than 0.5 grams per liter, they were to pay a fine of 30,000 forints, or $131. Lawmakers say riders can only hurt themselves and not others, unlike drivers of motor vehicles.